BY DELISA THWALA
MBABANE-A week into the mass deworming exercise being carried out in the country, the Praziquantele medication for bilharzia is stocked out.
When the programme started last week a total of 51 schools were reached on the first day of the national deworming campaign, which kicked off in the Manzini and Hhohho regions.
According to the team on the ground, the campaign started on a positive note as the teams were well-received by both teachers and learners. A total of 2 207 pupils and 53 teachers received the deworming medication in the first week of the programme.
Meanwhile, since the bilharzia is stocked out, this will result in the extension of the campaign, which was due to be completed on April 04, 2023.
The deworming exercise started about a week ago. Since Friday, some learners have not received the tablet in some of the schools which were visited, where only the Albendazole for intestinal worms was provided.
During a live interview with Eswatini Television morning programme Kusile Breakfast show, Epidemiologist Bongani Tsabedze confirmed the shortage of the drug, adding that it would not affect the exercise.
Tsabedze said they would be adding more days to the campaign and administer the Praziquantele to the pupils in schools that did not get it.
“The ministry has sourced it from local suppliers and it is currently being distributed to the teams,” he assured.
Tsabedze said the schools in the regions which had not received the tablet would get it between tomorrow and Thursday. Meanwhile, 67 373 learners, 1 797 teachers and 286 support staff members have been dewormed, to date. An additional 209 community adults and 50 none enrolled school-aged children.
